Goosander - 1 drake lingered until at least 10/04 Mallard & Tufted Duck. Numbers remained about the same, with no sign of any ducklings Canada Goose - 1 bird seemed to be sitting on one of the islands in the Anglers' lake but had stopped by 09/05 with no sign of any goslings Coot - 3 pairs bred. 2 on the Duck pond, hatching broods of 4 and 6 of which currently 1 and 4 respectively seem to have survived, with the pair on the Anglers lake hatching 7 which they seem to have successfully hidden until 22/05 when I counted them for the first time - as large juveniles Moorhen up to 4 seen on different visits but no sign of any young Black-headed Gull - always at least a few birds around Lesser Black-backed Gull 2 around on 22/04 with Herring Gull 1 on that same date Grey Heron - 2 pairs seem to have hatched 1 and 3 chicks between them. 2 of the 3 chicks are still around as of 29/05 on the Anglers' lake. No sign of the single chick from the Duck pond nest since 09/05 2 more pairs started to sit using adjacent nests to the first pairs, one on 14/05, the other on 22/05. Cormorant juvenile bird present 29/05 on Anglers lake - for 2nd day, apparently.
Mike Chorley said
Sat Apr 6 3:17 PM, 2024
05/04/24 Round up of weekly visits since 29/02/24
Goosander 5 - 1 female with 4 males in close attendance (05/04) - first for me here since the end of February Mallard - no proper count but down to 7/8 drakes only Tufted Duck - averaging 14 still with a roughly 2 to 1 ratio Coot - between 4 and 8, with one bird sitting since 14/03 and a second seen 05/04 Moorhen - average of 4 - 1 breeding pair confirmed 05/04 Canada Goose -uncounted but numbers down Black-headed Gull ditto - mostly still in 1st winter plumage Lesser Black-backed Gull 2 a pair present until 21/03 when they were mobbing one of the.. Grey Heron - 1 pair have 2 quite large chicks (feeding observed 05/04) the other pair still incubating/brooding
Mike Chorley said
Thu Feb 29 4:19 PM, 2024
29/02/24 Visits over last month (and a bit) -
Goosander 2 males (01/02 + 14/02) Mallard - count of 51 (21/02) Tufted Duck - varied between 14(14/02) and 26(21/02) with ratio of approx. 2m to 1f Coot - maximum count of 8 (28/02) - 2N(28/02) Moorhen - maximum count of 7 (01/02) Canada Goose - c 68 counted 28/02 Black-headed Gull - maximum of 120 on 21/02 down to 45 on 28/02 Lesser Black-backed Gull 3 - 2xadult and 1x2nd winter bird 28/02 Grey Heron -bird on Angler's lake was sitting 14/02 - 1 bird back on the Duck pond 14/02 - egg turning observed 21/02 and a nest changeover 28/02. Change (decrease) in breeding colour of bill noted between 21/02 and 28/02. Numbers well down on spring of 2021 (6 active nests) and 2022 (only 2 active nests but up to 7 birds present)
Mike Chorley said
Sun Jan 28 2:56 PM, 2024
24/01/24
Anglers Lake
Most of the Tufted Ducks have returned (10M 2F) after the 'Big Freeze'. Just the one Grey Heron, loitering with intent by one of the fishing peg. 1 adult winter Common Gull in with C 200 Black-headed Gulls.
Duck Pond Goosander 1 Male actively fishing but not seeming to catch anything
at least a dozen each of Moorhen and Coot between the two water bodies.
Mistle Thrush singing otherwise fairly quiet.
Mike Chorley said
Tue Jan 16 7:44 PM, 2024
Called in on the way home this afternoon. Both lakes around 80% frozen. The summer plumage adult Black-headed Gull pottering about on the ice looked a bit out of place (or should that be time?)
No sign of any Goosanders, Grey Herons or Tufted Ducks. 1 each of 1st Winter, 2nd winter and adult winter Common Gull among the Black-headed Gulls. Jan 12th birds were 2 adult and 1 second Winter. A 3rd winter Lesser Black-backed Gull and another large gull with an interesting mantle were also present but both departed S.W. before I could get a good look at the second bird.
-- Edited by Mike Chorley on Tuesday 16th of January 2024 08:26:43 PM
Mike Chorley said
Fri Jan 12 10:08 PM, 2024
Unexpected extra visit this morning and some changes to numbers - all on the Anglers lake
Goosander up to 5 males Tufted Duck now 18 - 12 M 6 F
Grey Heron 2 1 in thenesttree at the cafe end, the other right down by the bridge over the outlet to the pool.
3 Common Gulls were among circa 200 Black-headed Gulls
Minima of 6 Coot and 6 Moorhen seen.
Mike Chorley said
Thu Jan 11 3:53 PM, 2024
11/01/24 late morning
Goosander 3 M on the Angler's Lake (obviously) Tufted Duck 8 - 5 M & 2 F on the Angler's lake all diving in an area around 1 of the fishing pegs - 1 M on the Duck Pond Grey Heron 1 huddled up on the south end of the southernmost islet in the Angler's Lake (around 8 old nests counted - all currently unclaimed - excluding the original, now fallen one)
Mallard, Coot, Moorhen and Canada Goose all present in reasonable (uncounted) numbers. Also a Muscovy Duck.
Black-headed Gull - c75 flew up off the Duck Pond and departed NW before I could do a proper count.
Mike Chorley said
Sun May 28 4:25 PM, 2023
25.05.2023 - late morning
Very few ducks around, with no broods of ducklings Mallard - uncounted but reduced numbers Tufted Duck - 8 - 3 pairs and 2 extra males, all on the Anglers lake Canada Goose - uncounted but numbers seemed lower 1 pair had 6 goslings and 2 other pairs had a creche of 15 goslings Grey Heron - 6 minimum - 3 juveniles were in the nest on the Boat House end island on the Angler's lake, 2 juveniles were on the Fir Tree Island in the Duck Pond lake and an adult was sitting in a nest on the other island in that lake, possibly the bird seen earlier fishing in the Anglers lake. Moorhen 1 Coot uncounted but an adult was with 2 large chicks on the park side of the Duck Pond and the nest under the old heron nest had 4 fuzzball chicks being fed, off the nest, by another adult.
MARK HULSE said
Sat Mar 4 7:29 PM, 2023
Sad to say, I was in the Park this morning and spoke to one of the council Gardeners who informed me the Drake wood duck had sadly died....
Mike Chorley said
Thu Feb 23 11:42 PM, 2023
Lunchtime (ish)visit
Tufted 17 -15 on Anglers' lake, a pair on the Duck Pond No Goosanders Coot 5 - 3 on Anglers' 2 on the Duck Pond, including one already in possession of the original Heron nest on the snapped branch. (That was the last to be occupied last season and hatched 2 chicks) Moorhen 3-1 on Anglers' 2 on the Duck Pond Grey Heron 6 - 1 well down in the main nest on the Duck Pond tree, the other 5 all in the nest tree on Angler's - 1 in a nest, the other 4 gathered around the the second nest. Black-headed Gull c120. All initially on Angler's lake, then flew to the Duck Pond. Mallard small number, uncounted Canada Goose large number, ditto
Also Muscovy Duck.
DAVID KENNEDY said
Sun Feb 19 9:41 PM, 2023
Sun 19.2.23: The splendid looking drake wood duck was displaying a head tilted to the side most of my visit today. Sick or courting behaviour I wonder?
Also there were two fine looking male goosanders.
One heron down low in its island nest, the other nest had two birds in possession and positioning nesting material with diligence.
Also male (and some females) tufted ducks, a muscovy duck, plus the usual black headed gulls (no rings), mallards, Canada geese, feral pigeons, crows, wood pigeons, blackbird, coot and moorhen.
Mike Chorley said
Thu Jan 12 11:46 PM, 2023
Late morning visit: Tufted Duck 11 -6M 1F on Anglers' lake, 2M 2F on Duck pond Goosander 6 all M 4 together at far end of Angles' from cafe, 1 asleep cafe side of bridge and 1 on the Duck pond Mallard - c 40 Canada Goose 90 min Coot 5 - 3 on Anglers' 2 on Duck Pond Moorhen 6 - 5 on/around Duck Pond 1 on Anglers' Black-headed Gull c 27 on Anglers' but flushed by the acrobatics of the Christmas Tree pigeons as I was counting
Also Muscovy and Wood Duck in with the maingroup of Mallards No Herons.
James Walsh said
Sat Oct 8 5:50 PM, 2022
Drake North American Wood Duck and 7 Tufted Ducks - Alexandra Park Lakes
1 Redwing - Snipe Clough
James Walsh said
Sat Sep 24 2:10 PM, 2022
2 Teal (eclipse drake and female) showing exceptionally well on the upper lake
Also the drake North American Wood Duck and 2 Tufted Ducks
Rob Creek said
Tue Sep 20 9:31 AM, 2022
Ian McKerchar wrote:
Rob Creek wrote:
Hi James, I have to ask if that Shoveler could be a hybrid as it looks rather like a female Mallard with a shoveler bill?
Are you looking at a different photo to the one posted 14th September?
Same bird Ian, I hold my hands up on that one, just looked very Mallardish with the blue segment, couldnt find anything showing 1st year drake Shovelers with the blue on it. Oh well, my apologies James.
James Walsh said
Mon Sep 19 11:16 AM, 2022
First-year drake Shoveler, drake North American Wood Duck and 7 Tufted Ducks on the upper lake
Ian McKerchar said
Sun Sep 18 9:34 AM, 2022
Rob Creek wrote:
Hi James, I have to ask if that Shoveler could be a hybrid as it looks rather like a female Mallard with a shoveler bill?
Are you looking at a different photo to the one posted 14th September?
Rob Creek said
Sun Sep 18 8:41 AM, 2022
Hi James, I have to ask if that Shoveler could be a hybrid as it looks rather like a female Mallard with a shoveler bill?
James Walsh said
Sat Sep 17 2:34 PM, 2022
First-year drake Shoveler, drake North American Wood Duck, eclipse drake Teal and 6 Tufted Ducks on the upper lake 11:30am
James Walsh said
Fri Sep 16 6:22 PM, 2022
First-year drake Shoveler still present today on the upper lake, mainly in the channel adjacent to the bowling green, also the drake North American Wood Duck and 10 Tufted Ducks.
2 Rose-ringed Parakeets in the lakeside trees.
James Walsh said
Wed Sep 14 5:33 PM, 2022
Shoveler still present today - information and photo thanks to Lynn Chadderton
A first-year drake Shoveler, a first for the site, on the upper lake, mainly in the channel adjacent to the bowling green, still present at 3pm.
The drake North American Wood Duck, a smart bird in any plumage, now in partial eclipse, present on both lakes until 3:30pm when it flew off strongly towards the Medlock Valley, with its' travelling companions, a pair of Mallard.
Also an eclipse drake Teal and 7 Tufted Ducks.
5 Rose-ringed Parakeets in trees around the bowling green.
James Walsh said
Fri Aug 19 2:55 PM, 2022
Eclipse drake North American Wood Duck showing between Boathouse Cafe & the bridge on the main lake
Also 3 Tufted Ducks on the upper lake - 1 drake & the 2 juveniles
James Walsh said
Wed Aug 17 8:43 PM, 2022
Eclipse drake North American Wood Duck showing around The Boathouse Cafe & slipway on the main lake
Also the 2 juvenile Tufted Ducks on the upper lake
James Walsh said
Mon Aug 8 9:41 PM, 2022
The drake North American Wood Duck, now in eclipse plumage, has returned to Alexandra Park Lakes - also glimpsed on Saturday 6th August 2022 - after his Spring / Summer holiday in the Medlock Valley, exploring natural breeding territory!
Also the 2 juvenile Tufted Ducks - 1 diving like a proper Aythya, 1 that has grown up with a brood of Mallards and now behaves like a dabbling duck
James Walsh said
Sat Aug 6 6:23 PM, 2022
Tufted Ducks have had a successful breeding season with 2 juveniles present on the lakes today
James Walsh said
Fri Jul 15 12:08 PM, 2022
Thursday 14th July 2022
2 female Tufted Ducks and 2 ducklings
James Walsh said
Mon May 16 5:11 PM, 2022
Sunday 15th May 2022
10 Tufted Ducks
Intriguingly the drake North American Wood Duck seems to have moved on from this site with no recent sightings from myself or the Boathouse Cafe staff who've been regularly reporting this bird during it's stay... it visited Daisy Nook CP on 29th April and the most recent sighting in Alexandra Park is 7th May
James Walsh said
Tue May 10 4:44 PM, 2022
14 Tufted Ducks
James Walsh said
Sat May 7 6:10 PM, 2022
Drake North American Wood Duck 16 Tufted Ducks
James Walsh said
Thu May 5 8:14 PM, 2022
Drake North American Wood Duck 20 Tufted Ducks
James Walsh said
Wed Apr 27 7:55 PM, 2022
20 Tufted Ducks
James Walsh said
Wed Apr 27 4:48 AM, 2022
Tuesday 26th April 2022
Drake North American Wood Duck 22 Tufted Ducks
James Walsh said
Mon Apr 18 4:58 PM, 2022
Drake North American Wood Duck 1 Goosander 24 Tufted Ducks
2 singing male Blackcaps between Alexandra Retail Park and Oldham Mumps
James Walsh said
Mon Apr 4 7:28 PM, 2022
Drake North American Wood Duck 4 Goosander 22 Tufted Ducks 3 Chiffchaffs
James Walsh said
Fri Apr 1 11:44 AM, 2022
Drake North American Wood Duck 3 Goosander 23 Tufted Ducks 1 Treecreeper 2 singing Chiffchaffs
James Walsh said
Mon Mar 21 7:52 PM, 2022
3 singing Chiffchaffs on Snipe Clough
James Walsh said
Mon Mar 21 7:51 PM, 2022
Drake North American Wood Duck 2 Goosander 22 Tufted Duck
Steven Heywood said
Wed Mar 16 4:23 PM, 2022
Good to see the wood duck still there in the pouring rain. Also a redhead goosander and a heron on the big lake, with most of the mallards lurking under shelter.
-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Wednesday 16th of March 2022 04:35:18 PM
James Walsh said
Mon Mar 14 5:08 PM, 2022
Drake North American Wood Duck 20 Tufted Ducks
Barry Corless said
Fri Mar 4 1:30 PM, 2022
Drake North American Wood Duck still present in front of the cafe on the lower lake early this afternoon 4 Goosander 2m 2f a number of grey heron nest with either sitting birds or active building taking place
James Walsh said
Tue Mar 1 5:22 PM, 2022
Drake North American Wood Duck 4 Goosanders 25 Tufted Ducks
James Walsh said
Mon Feb 28 6:14 PM, 2022
Drake North American Wood Duck 5 Goosanders (1 drake) 32 Tufted Ducks
James Walsh said
Sat Feb 26 4:28 PM, 2022
Drake North American Wood Duck - very active today on both lakes, flying around the park and displaying to the Mallards, also 5 Goosanders and 21 Tufted Ducks
Goosander - 1 drake lingered until at least 10/04
Mallard & Tufted Duck. Numbers remained about the same, with no sign of any ducklings
Canada Goose - 1 bird seemed to be sitting on one of the islands in the Anglers' lake but had stopped by 09/05 with no sign of any goslings
Coot - 3 pairs bred. 2 on the Duck pond, hatching broods of 4 and 6 of which currently 1 and 4 respectively seem to have survived, with the pair on the Anglers lake hatching 7 which they seem to have successfully hidden until 22/05 when I counted them for the first time - as large juveniles
Moorhen up to 4 seen on different visits but no sign of any young
Black-headed Gull - always at least a few birds around
Lesser Black-backed Gull 2 around on 22/04 with
Herring Gull 1 on that same date
Grey Heron - 2 pairs seem to have hatched 1 and 3 chicks between them. 2 of the 3 chicks are still around as of 29/05 on the Anglers' lake. No sign of the single chick from the Duck pond nest since 09/05
2 more pairs started to sit using adjacent nests to the first pairs, one on 14/05, the other on 22/05.
Cormorant juvenile bird present 29/05 on Anglers lake - for 2nd day, apparently.
Round up of weekly visits since 29/02/24
Goosander 5 - 1 female with 4 males in close attendance (05/04) - first for me here since the end of February
Mallard - no proper count but down to 7/8 drakes only
Tufted Duck - averaging 14 still with a roughly 2 to 1 ratio
Coot - between 4 and 8, with one bird sitting since 14/03 and a second seen 05/04
Moorhen - average of 4 - 1 breeding pair confirmed 05/04
Canada Goose -uncounted but numbers down
Black-headed Gull ditto - mostly still in 1st winter plumage
Lesser Black-backed Gull 2 a pair present until 21/03 when they were mobbing one of the..
Grey Heron - 1 pair have 2 quite large chicks (feeding observed 05/04) the other pair still incubating/brooding
Visits over last month (and a bit) -
Goosander 2 males (01/02 + 14/02)
Mallard - count of 51 (21/02)
Tufted Duck - varied between 14(14/02) and 26(21/02) with ratio of approx. 2m to 1f
Coot - maximum count of 8 (28/02) - 2N(28/02)
Moorhen - maximum count of 7 (01/02)
Canada Goose - c 68 counted 28/02
Black-headed Gull - maximum of 120 on 21/02 down to 45 on 28/02
Lesser Black-backed Gull 3 - 2xadult and 1x2nd winter bird 28/02
Grey Heron -bird on Angler's lake was sitting 14/02 - 1 bird back on the Duck pond 14/02 - egg turning observed 21/02 and a nest changeover 28/02. Change (decrease) in breeding colour of bill noted between 21/02 and 28/02. Numbers well down on spring of 2021 (6 active nests) and 2022 (only 2 active nests but up to 7 birds present)
Anglers Lake
Most of the Tufted Ducks have returned (10M 2F) after the 'Big Freeze'. Just the one Grey Heron, loitering with intent by one of the fishing peg. 1 adult winter Common Gull in with C 200 Black-headed Gulls.
Duck Pond
Goosander 1 Male actively fishing but not seeming to catch anything
at least a dozen each of Moorhen and Coot between the two water bodies.
Mistle Thrush singing otherwise fairly quiet.
No sign of any Goosanders, Grey Herons or Tufted Ducks. 1 each of 1st Winter, 2nd winter and adult winter Common Gull among the Black-headed Gulls. Jan 12th birds were 2 adult and 1 second Winter. A 3rd winter Lesser Black-backed Gull and another large gull with an interesting mantle were also present but both departed S.W. before I could get a good look at the second bird.
-- Edited by Mike Chorley on Tuesday 16th of January 2024 08:26:43 PM
Goosander up to 5 males
Tufted Duck now 18 - 12 M 6 F
Grey Heron 2 1 in thenesttree at the cafe end, the other right down by the bridge over the outlet to the pool.
3 Common Gulls were among circa 200 Black-headed Gulls
Minima of 6 Coot and 6 Moorhen seen.
Goosander 3 M on the Angler's Lake (obviously)
Tufted Duck 8 - 5 M & 2 F on the Angler's lake all diving in an area around 1 of the fishing pegs - 1 M on the Duck Pond
Grey Heron 1 huddled up on the south end of the southernmost islet in the Angler's Lake (around 8 old nests counted - all currently unclaimed - excluding the original, now fallen one)
Mallard, Coot, Moorhen and Canada Goose all present in reasonable (uncounted) numbers. Also a Muscovy Duck.
Black-headed Gull - c75 flew up off the Duck Pond and departed NW before I could do a proper count.
Very few ducks around, with no broods of ducklings
Mallard - uncounted but reduced numbers
Tufted Duck - 8 - 3 pairs and 2 extra males, all on the Anglers lake
Canada Goose - uncounted but numbers seemed lower 1 pair had 6 goslings and 2 other pairs had a creche of 15 goslings
Grey Heron - 6 minimum - 3 juveniles were in the nest on the Boat House end island on the Angler's lake, 2 juveniles were on the Fir Tree Island in the Duck Pond lake and an adult was sitting in a nest on the other island in that lake, possibly the bird seen earlier fishing in the Anglers lake.
Moorhen 1
Coot uncounted but an adult was with 2 large chicks on the park side of the Duck Pond and the nest under the old heron nest had 4 fuzzball chicks being fed, off the nest, by another adult.
Tufted 17 -15 on Anglers' lake, a pair on the Duck Pond
No Goosanders
Coot 5 - 3 on Anglers' 2 on the Duck Pond, including one already in possession of the original Heron nest on the snapped branch. (That was the last to be occupied last season and hatched 2 chicks)
Moorhen 3-1 on Anglers' 2 on the Duck Pond
Grey Heron 6 - 1 well down in the main nest on the Duck Pond tree, the other 5 all in the nest tree on Angler's - 1 in a nest, the other 4 gathered around the the second nest.
Black-headed Gull c120. All initially on Angler's lake, then flew to the Duck Pond.
Mallard small number, uncounted
Canada Goose large number, ditto
Also Muscovy Duck.
Sun 19.2.23: The splendid looking drake wood duck was displaying a head tilted to the side most of my visit today. Sick or courting behaviour I wonder?
Also there were two fine looking male goosanders.
One heron down low in its island nest, the other nest had two birds in possession and positioning nesting material with diligence.
Also male (and some females) tufted ducks, a muscovy duck, plus the usual black headed gulls (no rings), mallards, Canada geese, feral pigeons, crows, wood pigeons, blackbird, coot and moorhen.
Tufted Duck 11 -6M 1F on Anglers' lake, 2M 2F on Duck pond
Goosander 6 all M 4 together at far end of Angles' from cafe, 1 asleep cafe side of bridge and 1 on the Duck pond
Mallard - c 40
Canada Goose 90 min
Coot 5 - 3 on Anglers' 2 on Duck Pond
Moorhen 6 - 5 on/around Duck Pond 1 on Anglers'
Black-headed Gull c 27 on Anglers' but flushed by the acrobatics of the Christmas Tree pigeons as I was counting
Also Muscovy and Wood Duck in with the maingroup of Mallards
No Herons.
1 Redwing - Snipe Clough
Also the drake North American Wood Duck and 2 Tufted Ducks
Same bird Ian, I hold my hands up on that one, just looked very Mallardish with the blue segment, couldnt find anything showing 1st year drake Shovelers with the blue on it. Oh well, my apologies James.
Are you looking at a different photo to the one posted 14th September?
I have to ask if that Shoveler could be a hybrid as it looks rather like a female Mallard with a shoveler bill?
2 Rose-ringed Parakeets in the lakeside trees.
A first-year drake Shoveler, a first for the site, on the upper lake, mainly in the channel adjacent to the bowling green, still present at 3pm.
The drake North American Wood Duck, a smart bird in any plumage, now in partial eclipse, present on both lakes until 3:30pm when it flew off strongly towards the Medlock Valley, with its' travelling companions, a pair of Mallard.
Also an eclipse drake Teal and 7 Tufted Ducks.
5 Rose-ringed Parakeets in trees around the bowling green.
Also 3 Tufted Ducks on the upper lake - 1 drake & the 2 juveniles
Also the 2 juvenile Tufted Ducks on the upper lake
Also the 2 juvenile Tufted Ducks - 1 diving like a proper Aythya, 1 that has grown up with a brood of Mallards and now behaves like a dabbling duck
2 female Tufted Ducks and 2 ducklings
10 Tufted Ducks
Intriguingly the drake North American Wood Duck seems to have moved on from this site with no recent sightings from myself or the Boathouse Cafe staff who've been regularly reporting this bird during it's stay... it visited Daisy Nook CP on 29th April and the most recent sighting in Alexandra Park is 7th May
16 Tufted Ducks
20 Tufted Ducks
Drake North American Wood Duck
22 Tufted Ducks
1 Goosander
24 Tufted Ducks
2 singing male Blackcaps between Alexandra Retail Park and Oldham Mumps
4 Goosander
22 Tufted Ducks
3 Chiffchaffs
3 Goosander
23 Tufted Ducks
1 Treecreeper
2 singing Chiffchaffs
2 Goosander
22 Tufted Duck
Good to see the wood duck still there in the pouring rain. Also a redhead goosander and a heron on the big lake, with most of the mallards lurking under shelter.
-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Wednesday 16th of March 2022 04:35:18 PM
20 Tufted Ducks
4 Goosander 2m 2f
a number of grey heron nest with either sitting birds or active building taking place
4 Goosanders
25 Tufted Ducks
5 Goosanders (1 drake)
32 Tufted Ducks
3 Goosanders (1 drake)
20 Tufted Ducks
5 Goosanders (3 drakes)
20 Tufted Ducks
4 Goosanders (2 drakes)
30 Tufted Ducks
5 Goosanders (3 drakes)
15 Tufted Ducks
5 pairs of Grey Heron nesting in the park